Register Your Interest - Shoosmiths Training Contract

Register Your Interest - Shoosmiths Training Contract

Location: Birmingham · Edinburgh · Glasgow · Leeds · London · Manchester

Start Date: September 2028

Key Dates:

• Applications open: 4 December 2025
• Deadline: 31 March 2026
• Assessment Centres: 17-25 June / 1 & 3 July 2026 (depending on location)

Overview

Embark on your legal career with a dynamic and inclusive training contract at Shoosmiths. Over two years, you’ll rotate through four six-month seats across distinct areas of law—ensuring you gain exposure to both contentious and non-contentious work. You’ll be working closely with experienced solicitors, handling real workload, meeting deadlines, and beginning to develop business development, client management, and legal practice skills from the very start.

What Makes You a Fit

• Bright, ambitious, and commercially minded: someone who takes initiative, seeks challenges, and thrives in a fast-paced environment.
• Flexible degree discipline: law, non-law, graduates or career changers—all are welcome.
• You will need to complete or have completed the LPC or SQE (England) or the Diploma (Scotland) before the contract starts. Non-law graduates must also complete the conversion course (PGDL in England or accelerated LLB in Scotland). Shoosmiths offers funding toward postgraduate legal education.

Areas of Law & Training

You’ll have core seats in law areas such as Corporate, Commercial, Real Estate, Banking & Finance, Litigation. Occasionally, seats may also be available in Intellectual Property, Regulatory & Compliance, Planning, Construction & Engineering, EU & Competition, and via client secondments. At least one seat must be non-contentious, and one must be contentious.

Culture & Balance

Shoosmiths prides itself on a supportive, cooperative working culture. You’ll be encouraged to maintain a healthy work-life balance: there’s no “face-time” requirement, flexible working hours are possible, and your wellbeing is respected.

Rewards & Eligibility

• Trainee solicitor salaries are competitive and vary by region: London (approx £44,000 first year / £46,000 second) and regions/Scotland according to local benchmarks.
• You’ll need to meet eligibility criteria: degree status or equivalent, completed or in process of conversion if non-law, and ability to complete required legal qualification before starting.

What Happens Next

Register your interest today and we’ll reach out as soon as the application form for Shoosmiths Training Contracts opens.